Future forests in a changing climate

ALL eyes were on Castlemilk and Corrie Estates this week as they presented the results of an extensive species trials to forestry experts and land managers.

As a member of Scottish Land & Estates, the estate near Lockerbie has been working with Scottish Forestry, Forest Research and Scottish Woodlands to help land managers prepare for the threats to woodland from a changing climate.

And the results were shared at an event on Tuesday, which also included a visit to the James Jones sawmill and timber processing centre.

Castlemilk has about 2000 ha of forest land including ancient woodlands and productive forestry. The estates harvest approximately 20,000 tonnes of timber per annum as part of a sustainable management plan.

They have been conducting trials on a range of conifers for nearly 40 years, starting in 1987 with a two hectare sample plot to compare growth rates between Sitka Spruce sourced from Queen Charlotte Island, and improved Sitka Spruce. In recent years there have been trials involving French and American seed sourced Douglas Fir, as well as with Tamarack, Japanese Cedar and Lutz Spruce.

There is also an ongoing trial growing Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock in a 50:50 mix with a view to potentially creating a block of continuous-cover forest.

These are all designed to determine the best tree species and management techniques to help establish resilient woodlands which are more resistant to pests and disease, while also being suitable for commercial timber production.

Woodlands manager Kenny Mackenzie said: “As a direct result of the work undertaken by previous foresters who sought to create productive forests that were not simply monocultures, the estate is now benefiting from its history of innovative approaches to forest diversification and is advantageously placed to face the challenges of protecting its woodlands from disease and drought in a changing climate.”

Meanwhile, Rob MacKenna, of James Jones, said: “We need to work closely across the sector to ensure that we have resilient forests that support a resilient timber processing industry. As a country, we are heavily dependent on imported sawn softwood. It is therefore critical that we collaborate to ensure we are able to maintain and grow our UK sawn timber supply, with all the benefits it provides for local jobs, the wider economy, and carbon sequestration and storage.”